Motivation

I started this blog over 3 years ago. When I would do my motivational speaking, people would always ask if I had a book or a website. So a blog was the next best thing. I have to say after writing all these years, it has been a great help to me too. Couldn’t everyone use a happy thought, funny quote, something motivational to inspire and encourage them? Doesn’t life get hard to handle some times? Yet our attitude, can make it or break it for us. So I just wanted to say thanks to all of you out there, who read and participate in my blog. It has served it’s purpose even if just ONE person got a benefit from it. And I know that I myself have benefitted from it too! Some days are tough and I try to be honest and share those with you too, but at the end of every post is a happy thought or a motivational quote. As soon as I add that, I realize that life is hard but oh soooo worth it! Those happy thoughts and encouraging words sink deep into my heart and literally make my day a little bit better.

One of my readers said, that my blog makes her smile every day! That was the greatest compliment ever! Don’t we all need something to smile about? Smiling is good for you!

So thank you again, and I promise I will continue to write about things that can really make a difference in your life.  I will continue to find stories, articles and things that give us hope and encouragement. Yes, I am excited to write 3 more years ( at least ) and hope you will come along with me, on this journey we call Life!  Because there definitely are a lot of lessons along this road to learn!

Good night dear friends and Happy Halloween from me and my cute red heads!

IT'S HALLOWEEN

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night.

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
Grinning goblins fighting duels,
Werewolves rising from their tombs,
Witches on their magic brooms.

In masks and gowns we haunt the street
And knock on doors for trick or treat.
Tonight we are the king and queen,
For tonight it's Halloween!

Jack Prelutsky

 

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."   ~ Zig Ziglar

“If you actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”  ~John Quincy Adams

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”  ~ Wayne Dyer

Saying good bye!

I have a dear friend who just lost his mother recently. He and his wife were able to get there before she passed away but they weren’t really able to talk to her and have her respond back.  As I spoke to my friend, she mentioned how hard this was on her husband. As soon as she said that, my mind raced back 11 years ago and I saw myself and my brothers sitting by my Mom’s hospital bed…trying to figure out how to say good bye to her. How do you live with out a Mom or a Dad? It is much harder than it looks. I searched my heart for the right things to say, I didn’t want her to go but could hardly stand to watch her suffer much longer either.

In our case, Mom didn’t die in that hospital room 11 years ago, she actually got better, graduated from Hospice ( which is almost unheard of ) and went home. Yet it was only a few weeks before she turned again for the worse, by Thanksgiving time she had slipped into a Coma and the first week of December (with me at her side once again), I watched her take her last breath. It was still one of the hardest things I have ever done. I knew she was done with life and all the trials and experiences that she had gone through but still…who was going to be the Grandma to my kids? Who was going to help me when I was stuck in life? Yes, it was a bit overwhelming and sad. I have mentioned this before but… I was most upset that everyone in the world just kept going on with life. I had just lost my Mother, it was the beginning of the Christmas season and everyone was happy and busy around me. It seemed like no one really cared that I just lost my Mother. I know that wasn’t really true, but it seems when life gives you really big things to handle, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, cancer, severe illnesses that your whole world stops and that is all you can think about… and yet everyone else’s life is still going on! I know the whole world isn’t going to stop, but for some reason you sorta want it to…just for a sign of respect for my Mom or whatever the situation is. Yes, life is hard. I pray that my friend’s heart will be ok and that he and his family will be able to have some peace soon.

Saying good bye has always been a hard thing for me, even when it is just my kids or nieces and nephews leaving after a visit… or a dear friend moving. I always cry my heart out. So saying Good Bye to a Mother or anyone at the brink of death is… a really hard thing on your heart.

Tonight, think about your friends and loved ones who might be going through some really hard times, and remember to say a prayer for them. Because prayers really do make a difference, I know that from personal experience!

Good night dear friends! Thanks for always being there for me and my family.

 

“To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.”    ~Thomas Campbell,

Lonely Hearts Club!

And  yet while waiting in another Doctor’s office, I read this article out of the August 2011 Better Homes and Garden Magazine

It was called the Lonely Hearts Club, here is what it said…

Reason No. 872… to call your sister, volunteer, or play with your dog.

Lack of connection is unhealthy! University of Chicago research results show that persistently feeling lonely raises blood pressure, increases risk of stroke or heart attack.   ~ Sara Altshul  Healthnews

I guess the reason I liked this short article, was because I do believe that being lonely… really is unhealthy. And it doesn’t take that much to help someone from being so lonely, even if it is only a phone call, letter, email or short visit. I think every day we should try to think about someone who is particularly lonely, and see what we can do to help.

However if we are the ones that are lonely, then it is important for us to remember that being in the Lonely Hearts Club isn’t a good place to be, and we need to go out of our comfort zone and do something with or for someone else!
So go ahead, call  your sister, volunteer or …just go play with your dog. I know you will feel better if you do!
Good night dear friends!

 

“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”   Mother Teresa of Calcutta quotes

  “Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.”     ~Dag Hammarskjold quotes

Lesson on Forgiveness

Today was one of the busiest days ever, and I just now finally sat down. I am so tired, I don’t dare write something… who knows what I would say?

Anyway, I did read the most incredible article today on Forgiveness, and thought that I would share that with you. Hope you enjoy it and remember the key to a good and free life… is forgiveness!

Good night!

http://jasonfwright.com/column/a-lesson-on-forgiveness-by-senator-malcolm-wallop.html

 

 

  “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”    ~Robert Muller quotes

  “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”   ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Confidence… or the Lack of ?

Warning, this post is a Bigger Than Me Day!

Lately I have been struggling, and lacking in the confidence department. I am not sure why exactly?  Maybe because I have been in more pain lately. Pain is hard on the soul and everything else. It is hard to get excited about things when you don’t feel good, and it even makes me grumpy with the family…which is unusual, so I definitely have to get to the bottom of it soon.
Also having this much pain doesn’t exactly make me feel very creative, and normally  I have soooo many ideas running through my head that I can hardly wait to get up in the morning and start on them. So…I really have to get my body back in order, so my mind and spirit will follow! As I read these quotes I thought how true…

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life."  ~ Unknown Author…. (Some times the world is a tough place to live, so it is vital that you believe in yourself first!)

“As is our confidence, so is our capacity.”  ~William Hazlitt ….( So true, if we believe in ourselves and our abilities, anything is possible! )

"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere.
It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication."   ~Roger Staubach … ( I agree, the more I work and spend time at something, the better I get! )

“With confidence, you have won even before you have started."    ~Marcus Garvey … ( This is definitely a POSITIVE quote, having confidence helps you win the game of life! )

 

So now that I know what I should do… I just need to go do it!

Just like my daughter and her friends at college, doing synchronized swimming at the park…now that take confidence in ones self and self esteem. I need to have more pictures of myself just being silly and playing. I don’t really play very well. Sometimes I am probably too serious with life!

Well, thanks for believing in me… even on the days that I don’t  believe in myself!  Good night dear friends!

Growing older

   Well, for some reason I am extremely tired tonight, so I won’t write much for fear of mixing all my words together. Plus, you shouldn’t read this unless you have a strong stomach!

    I just thought of something today that made me laugh. When I was a little girl, (ok, maybe not too little, actually I was a teenager ) I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother.  I loved my Grandma Johnny, and loved any chance I got to be with her.

   One thing that I remember doing was …she would sometimes ask me to get the  tweezers out and put the long hairs off of her chin, because she couldn’t’ see do that. I actually just did it and thought, how sad that you can’t even see that on your face. I wasn’t grossed out, because she was my Grandmother and I thought she was beautiful inside and out.

    But I have often thought if that is where they got the saying on the story of the 3 little pigs? When the pigs said “ not by the hair of our chinny chin chin”?
Anyway, I warned you that I was tired, did you see how fast I got off track tonight with my thoughts?

    I know have been growing some unwanted facial hair over the years, the kids get absolutely grossed out if they even see me trying to look in the mirror and pull out one of them. At first I thought, this is so embarrassing, how can this be that I am growing more hair on my face as I get older? Then one day, I just laughed…there are a ton of changes that are happening as I get older, and none of them are very appealing or pretty. So if a few unwanted facial hair is as bad as it gets one day, then I realized I am very lucky.

   To prove that I have embracing my aging body, I now just wait till Jeff or Lee finish using their electric razors and then I ask if I can use it. They just about die of embarrassment every time I do!
I just can’t seem to win…but the good news is,  I do have a smooth face!

   Plus, we need to remember…no matter how old a woman is…she is always a Princess deep down inside, even if she had chinny chin hairs!

 

“As we grow old, the beauty steals inward.”   - Bronson Alcott

"The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines."   – Plato

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."   - Madeleine L'Engle

"Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternative."   - Maurice Chevalier

Family

Tonight we had dinner with a one of our nephew in laws. He was in town for business, and we were fortunate that he had some time to visit with us. We are so glad that we had time to sit and visit with him tonight. He is an amazing young man and a great husband and father. I thought as we drove home tonight… what a blessing family can be in your life.  Also how neat it can be to bring someone ( that you never knew before ) through marriage into your lives,  and then over the years…they truly  become part of your family.  Now I know some times you can even have a hard time with those who are blood related to you, but all in all we are very grateful to the in- laws who have become a part of our lives.

It reminds me also how important family can be. How great it is when each family member supports the other, and now to watch the grandkids who are the nieces, nephews and cousin all become friends! I guess that is called the CIRCLE OF LIFE isn’t it?  Anyway, it is  a blessing to see these nieces and nephews of ours go on to be great Moms and Dads. It is fun for me… Aunt Lynn to be a part of their lives and now their kids lives. I feel very rich and very blessed.

Good night dear friends ( who also feel like family to me! )

 

“A happy family is but an earlier heaven.”      -- John Bowring

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”   -- Jane Howard

“Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.”   -- Brad Henry

Hope

Today is Sunday, I love Sundays!  I guess it is because it truly is  a day of rest. It is totally… a day to be with our family, to serve others and to go to church to recharge our spiritual batteries..yes, after 6 busy days of work and everything, it is nice to rest.

The lesson that I was taught today was actually from an article that I read, it was on Hope. I seem to write a lot about HOPE, maybe because that is an attribute that I try to have… because when I have had that attribute, life seems good and one that I can survive. If I lose HOPE and FAITH, then everything looks too hard and hopeless.

So I will share with you part of this article tonight as a reminder that we all need more HOPE in our life, we need to hang in there, to find out what we are to learn from the tests and trials that we are faced with in our lives.

YEs, HOPE is important and vital for a Happy Life!      

 

   My brothers and sisters, today, as we look at the world around us, we are faced with problems which are serious and of great concern to us.  The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.

   Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, dishonestly, and a host of other ills cause many to be tossed about on a sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings, and shattered dreams.

   My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord.  There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what Its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life.  The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing.

   I love the words found in Psalms: “ The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust;…I will call upon the Lord…so [ I shall ] be saved from mine enemies ~ Thomas S. Monson Ensign, May 2010
">

“Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.”   ~ Norman Vincent Peale

“True hope dwells on the possible, even when life seems to be a plot written by someone who wants to see how much adversity we can overcome.

True hope responds to the real world, to real life; it is an active effort.”   ~ Walter Anderson

What do you want to do with your life?

I love this quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley, what an amazing lady she was. By this quote, you can see the wisdom that she has earned in this life.

We all should be so blessed that we know exactly what our priorities are, and that we would have the determination and courage… to keep them in the right order!

Good night dear loved one!

Marjorie Pay Hinckley - “I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

A Mother’s heart

I found this website about children that have cancer and how their stories go… 

http://www.cancerkids.org/Children/Stories/.

It is hard to read, there are so many things that bring back the memories of just three years ago for our family. It was on Oct 30th three years ago that I was told that I had cancer once again. My first cancer I had 7 years prior. Then I was told that I had 3 tumors and that the cancer had spread, and that I would have to lose my breast. It seems all so surreal now, how did I ever survive that? I know it was because I was suppose to survive it. It was all part of the plan, I cannot explain why things happen like they do, but I have been around long enough…to know that everything happens for a reason. Even if we don’t always know what that reason is right away. There was something else I had left to do, and I pray every day that I am doing it!
One thing that I couldn’t imagine as I read these children’s stories from their Mother’s point of view, is what the Mother’s must be feeing. I thanked my Heavenly Father every day that it was me that had the cancer, and not one of my kids. Now I know that sounds weird, but there is just something about seeing your kids in pain or struggling and you can’t do anything about it…that hurts, really hurts! I can’t even imagine what heartaches these Mothers must be going through. And since Mom is usually the heart of the home, it is important for her to stay positive, full of faith and hope. If your Mom’s believes…so should you!

I have a dear friend who is one of these Mother’s going through exactly this. She is watching her adult son ( really doesn’t matter how old he is ) battling his way with cancer. As I read her letters and all the pain that her son is in, I just know that it must be eating her away too, little by little. I believe though that he still needs her for love, comfort, support and hope. Mom’s are suppose to be the one that believe in you when no one else does, one who believes the impossible, the one who talks to God daily and wants ( as He does ) whatever is best for you.

My heart and prayers go out to her, and all you Mothers and Fathers out there that going through situations like these with your kids. I pray that you some how will find the strength, courage and hope that you need. Please don’t give up. Only God knows the future, but He has always promised that He would never leave us alone to go through the trial and experiences in this life. I personally know that to be true. So hold on tight, be strong and know that there are many of us who love you, and who are praying for you!

 

 

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”   ~ Washington Irving

“Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.”     Marion C. Garretty quotes

Pay it forward.

While I was in the Dental office the other day, I read this article in a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It was called Pay it forward by Sara Altshul

I really enjoyed it, and thought how nice it is to be reminded that… when you show a kindness to others, it literally has a domino effect on everyone involved…isn’t that a neat ?

Good night dear friends!

Here’s the article, short but sweet…

Performing a good deed for someone makes him or her more likely to do something nice for someone else, say researchers at Harvard and the University of California , San Diego.  Their study provides strong evidence that cooperative behavior spreads from person to person to person- like a benevolent  virus. In the study, volunteers simulated giving money away to others. The researchers observed the domino effect, in which one person’s kindness spread first to 3 people, then to 9 people, and then to even more people, what’s more after giving, you became a more generous person who’ll give to other more frequently.
Happily, no one’s immune to the kindness flu.  “We found that the effect works on Scrooge and Santa personalities alike”, says study co-author James H. Fowler, PHD a professor at UC San Diego an expert on social networks.

 

“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun
makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding,
mistrust, and hostility to evaporate. “   ~ Albert Schweitzer

“No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind
action leads to another. Good example is followed.
A single act of kindness throws out roots in all
directions, and the roots spring up and make new
trees. The greatest work that kindness does to
others is that it makes them kind themselves.”   ~ Amelia Earhart

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might
be the only sunshine he sees all day.”    ~H. Jackson Brown

Embassy of Hope!

I like this story, I think it shows you that LOVE WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY!

Enjoy and good night dear friends!

Embassy of Hope

When Mark was five years old his parents divorced. He stayed with his mother, while his father enlisted in the armed forces. As Mark grew up he occasionally had recollections of the brief time he shared with his father and longed to one day see him again, but as Mark became an adult the thoughts of his father began to subside. Mark was now more into girls, motor cycles, and partying.

After Mark graduated from college he married his high school sweetheart. A year later she gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby boy.

One day when Mark’s son was five years old and as Mark was preparing to shave his face, his son looked up at him and laughed, “Daddy you look like a clown with that whipped cream on your face.”

Mark laughed, looked into the mirror and realized how much his son looked like him at that age. Later remembered a story his mother had told him of him once telling his own father the same thing.

Mark began thinking about his own father a lot and started quizzing his mother. It had been a long time since Mark spoke of his father and his mother informed him that she had not spoken to his father in over twenty years and all her knowledge of his whereabouts ceased when Mark became eighteen.

Mark looked deep into his mother’s eyes and said, “I need to find my father.”

His mother commented that his relatives had all passed away and she had no idea where to begin searching for him but added, “Maybe, just maybe, if you contact the United States Embassy in England, they might be able to help you.”

Even though the chances seemed slim Mark was determined. He called the Embassy and the conversation went something like this.

“U.S. Embassy, how may we help you?”

“Ahh…hi, my name is Mark Sullivan and I am hoping to find my father.”

After a long pause and the ruffle of papers.. “Is this a Mr. Mark Joseph Sullivan ?”

“Yes,” Mark says anxiously.

“And you were born in Vincennes, Indiana, at the Good Samaritan Hospital on October 19, 1970?”

“Yes… yes”

“Mark, please don’t hang up.” The man makes an announcement at the embassy. “Everyone listen… I have terrific news… Lieutenant Ronald L. Sullivan’s son is on the phone… he found us!”

Without a pause Mark hears a roar of a crowd clapping, cheering, laughing, crying, and praising God.

The man returns to the telephone and says, “Mark we’re so glad you have called. Your father has been coming here in person or calling almost every single day for the past nine years, checking to see if we located you.”

The following day Mark received a phone call from his father. His father explained to him that he had been traveling to the United States every six months trying to find him. Once even went to a home where the landlord had explained that Mark and his mother had moved out just two weeks prior and left no forwarding address.

Mark and his father now see each other as often as possible.

… David Like, Florida

(This is a true story, though David changed the names and location

 

“All things are possible until they are proved impossible and even the impossible may only be so, as of now."  ~Pearl S. Buck

“Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us.”
Muhammad Yunus

Wedding Letters!

   Now once again I have finished another great book written by Jason F. Wright… called the Wedding Letters!  It was amazing and actually was like a part two, to the Wednesday Letters that he wrote a few years ago. The Wedding Letters took place a generation later. I have said this more than once about Jason’s writing style, but I love that he makes the reader want to get up and do something like change for the better and make a difference. This book was no different. It had the same passion and determination that each generation can get better. A reminder that love conquers all, and that your family is what really matters! 
    Yes, I loved it and would encourage any of you to read it.  I love books that when you are finished them you feel happier than when you started it plus, it gives you ideas on how to help change your own life and relationships for the better. Wow, I would love to know how to write like that, to move people in that way…that would be amazing!

Good night dear friends!

 

 

 

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.”  C.S. Lewis quotes

“The word that is heard perishes, but the letter that is written remains.”   Proverb quotes

“A strange volume of real life in the daily packet of the postman.  Eternal love and instant payment!”     ~Douglas Jerrold, The Postman's Budget

“Letters are among the most significant memorial a person can leave behind them.”     ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Are we spiritually prepared?

Today in church, one of the lessons was about being prepared for the Savior’s Second Coming. I will include part of the talk because frankly it was written well, easy to understand and it touched my heart.

 

“When Shall These Things Be?”

I would like to discuss a subject that is on a lot of people’s minds. My intention is not to alarm or to frighten, but to discuss the significant and interesting times in which we are now living, to consider some of the events and circumstances we can anticipate in the future, and to suggest a few things we can all do to fortify ourselves and our families for the challenges and trials that will surely come into all of our lives at one time or another.

Toward the end of the Savior’s ministry, His disciples came to Him with several questions centered on one key prophetic event: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3).

Two thousand years ago Christ’s followers were concerned about that. Every generation of believers since then, I think, has been concerned about the last days to one degree or another. So the Lord’s response to His disciples is meaningful to all of us. To the first question—“When shall these things be?”—He said, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matt. 24:3–4). That is very significant.

“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:5–7).

The lesson went on to talk about what we can do to have ourselves Spiritually prepared for these the latter days. Many people don’t argue the fact that we all need to be physically prepared, have our 72 hour kits and emergency preparedness stuff in order but what about Spiritually? That is just as important and even more so. To be able to handle all the things that are going to happen and keep our faith with be no small thing. As I have mentioned before, there are many things that can Shaken our Faith, if we are not careful. We live in a day and time where our morals and standards are being challenged on a daily basis. Yes, these are the latter days that were mentioned in the scriptures. 

There are some days that I can’t wait for the Savior to return! The world is a tough place to live and this is a very hard and challenging time to raise a morally strong family with high standards. I myself get teased every now and then about the standards I keep. But I know what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I know I need to stay strong and strengthen my faith daily. I know that if I stay close to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that it is through them that I will find peace, comfort and joy…and that is my goal. Ok here is another part of the lesson…

 

 

When we are not doing what we know we ought to be doing, and when we are not living the way we know we ought to live, we have a tendency to be unhappy. And make no mistake about it—we know when we are not doing what we ought to do, because every one of us has a conscience. We are born with the Spirit of Christ, and we know instinctively what is right and what is wrong when it comes to our personal behavior . It offends that Spirit when we allow ourselves and our values and standards to be manipulated by aesthetic propaganda in behalf of Satan’s lies.

Consider the following words from the Apostle Paul in connection with much of what we see and hear in contemporary media:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

“Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

“Having a form of godliness; but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:1–7).

Does that mean we will not have turmoil or personal problems or sickness or family challenges or employment difficulties? Not at all. But it does mean that if our faith is anchored securely in our testimonies of Christ, we will be able to cope with whatever adversity comes our way, and we will be able to do so in a positive, faith-promoting manner. If we keep the eye of faith focused on Christ, we gain a broader view and an eternal perspective, and with that we can understand adversity from within the context of Heavenly Father’s eternal plan for all of His children. And we can find comfort in this life in the eternal safety, peace, joy and security that He promises.  M. Russell Ballard   http://lds.org/ensign/1996/12/when-shall-these-things-be?lang=eng

This was not a lesson on doom and gloom, like some would think. It was a lesson of great hope, taught by someone who has great faith and hope. It was just the lesson I needed for today. Hope you had a wonderful Sabbath day too! Good night dear friends!

Color Catchers

A couple of years ago, someone told me about this new Laundry product called Color Catchers. Since we often have someone forget and leave a red sock or shirt in the white clothes, I decided to by some Color Catchers for myself. I was really amazed at how well they did. I absolutely love them! I get some for every newlywed couple, it is a must have…especially if someone is new to doing laundry. I was thinking the other day (while I was doing laundry) that I wish there was an amazing product out there for your thoughts or actions. Such as Anger Catchers, Despair Catchers or even Mistake Catchers!   I guess that would make life too easy, but some days it would be nice to have something that helpful in your daily thoughts and actions. I know that would take away our agency, so that is probably why God doesn’t have these products out there to buy.

But as I really thought about it, He has given us many things that have the same type of results. We have been given the 10 Commandments, just in case you weren’t sure of what you should or shouldn’t do.  I heard someone once said” that the Ten Commandments weren’t meant to be the Ten Suggestions!” Also we have the scriptures, they are full of others who have been there before, and if we were to read and study about their lives and experiences, then probably many things would or could be prevented in our lives. We last but not least have prayer! There is the product we all need. To stay in close contact with our Heavenly Father, would be the best way to catch bad attitudes, thoughts and actions…even before they happen. Yes, I am grateful to know that we aren’t left here on earth alone to just fumble through life. But we are here on earth to be guided and lead by a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to be safe, wise and happy!

Now that is better than any store bought product out there!

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

"Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation. Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day. Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord's Spirit with us. Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas."  ~ Julie B. Beck

Ever had one of those days?

Well, I have had a few of them right in a row. For some reason I am not sleeping either so……………

as the old saying goes  “ A pictures worth a 1000 words!”   I think this picture says it all for me today!

Good night and hopefully I will get on top of life here soon!

 

“No matter how discouraged we get, God has not asked us to do the impossible”  ~ George Grace

Quite a tribute for a Father, Husband and Friend!

]

Today Jeff and I drove an hour away to a dear friend’s funeral. He and his family moved from this area quite a while ago. Even though we haven’t kept in touch with them a lot throughout the years, we had common friends and they always let us know what they were up to, or when one of their kids got married. Twelve years ago, one of our friends mentioned that this dear friend of ours… had a brain aneurism and from then on has never been the same. His sweet wife and also a dear friend of ours, faithfully took care of him these past 12 years, which not only brought problems from the aneurism, but he also became diabetic and had cancer. He lost his battle with cancer and passed away just a few days ago. We knew we wanted to be at that funeral for him and his dear family.

He had three boys and two girls, and nineteen grandchildren…what a legacy! His three sons spoke and it was probably one of the greatest tributes that I think I have ever heard from children to a parent. Their Dad was amazing and the lessons and values he taught them were obviously a part of their lives, and something that they were passing on to their young families now. It was an honor to be there, his wife and our sweet friend seemed very touched that we came and we were so glad we did.

Time kept changing while we were sitting there during the funeral. When his girls sang one of the musical numbers …time seemed to slip to the past and I can remember those girls when they were just teenagers and now they are each a Mother. When the sons spoke …time slip back again and I could see in some of their features their Dad, they had the same expressions and mannerisms. Then at one point during on of the beautiful musical numbers…time pushed ahead and I wondered if Jeff and I need to talk more about when and if the time comes for us, have we shared our wishes for our funeral? Have we taught our kids and grandkids all that we know about life and do they know…like these kids …how loved they are? Then after the funeral we were able to talk and visit with other friends that we haven’t seen in years…time went back and forward then. Back because the same love and friendship we had with them, you realized is still there and yet just by looking at all of us …time has gone by and we all are a bit older, and wiser I hope?

Coming home Jeff and I spoke about where we wanted to be buried, what we wanted for our funerals and bottom line how we hoped our kids have learned to know and love the Lord. These kids did and that made all the difference in their lives. Their parents taught them about God and that they never had to go through anything alone. They had a testimony of Christ and His Atonement. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, where their Dad was and that some day they could be together again!  That is what they are striving for and working towards to have as they say…’No empty chairs in Heaven’.

Yes, it was quite the tribute to a dear friend, quite the tribute to the Memories and Love they shared, and quite the reminder for Jeff and I …that life is short and precious and we need to EVERYDAY, make the most of it! It was a tough day emotionally but my heart is full and very grateful tonight.

Good night dear friends!

“Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

”While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil.”  ~ John Taylor

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens.”  ~ Helen Keller

Grounded

When my kids were teenagers there were a few times ( ok quite often ) that they got grounded. That seem to help them come to the conclusion quicker that…family rules were to be honored and kept. It also reminded them that they might have the ability to choose, but they can’t choose the consequences of their actions. That was a hard lesson some times to learn. Sometimes it is even hard to understand or handle those types of lessons, even when you are an adult.  Also, some of our kids were dare devils with a huge sense of adventure and others were not. Some were when they were little, and then it changed as they got older and some were just the opposite. So each time I felt like I had finally got through with one lesson, drama, concern…it seemed like one of the other kids would have a problem. I remember having my share of worry as I tried to figure it out as a parent. Parenting is much harder than it looks!
One thing that I struggle with is adventure, danger, thrill seeking. I am just not that type of person, and  I’m getting much more cautious as I get older…that probably isn’t a good thing. The kids tease me as times, when I warn them about this or that, and they just say “ Mom, you don’t have to go to the worst case scenario do you?”  Ok, I am a little different than a lot of people, but still being cautious maybe isn’t all that bad. However it is difficult because I am married to a man who loves adventure and many times, because of my physical limitations I can’t go do them with him. Gratefully we have had children who love many of the same things as their Dad, and he loves being and going places with them.

A few weeks ago, Lee and a few friends went to take a hike up in the mountains. He gave me all the information where they would be… but I didn’t know the trial or the area, since I hadn’t hiked it. But Jeff had and he said when you get to the top you will love it, it is breathtaking.

Ok, speaking of breaths, you might want to take a deep breath before  you scroll down and look at this photo of Lee, that they took of him when he reached the top! Lee put it on a the screen saver, so it was big. That was the first time I saw it and my first two reactions were…Why would you even climb us something that high?  And you are so grounded from ever taking trips like that again!    Remember these were my thoughts!
Then when Jeff saw it, I thought for sure he might reprimand Lee, but his response ( out loud ) was… “that is incredible Lee, that must have been a rush to have climbed up there, what a gorgeous view!” Guess we are safe to say that Mothers and Fathers are different  and even among our own, there are probably some of you Mother’s out there that think this would be a neat place to go your self or to take your kids too! I will just try to remember to smile and be grateful that he didn’t FALL OFF that mountain, and that he was able to experience the beauty of the great Northwest!  Still, I am sooooooooooo glad I didn’t know he would be doing something like this. Maybe that is why they say “sometimes it is just better if Mom doesn’t know? “  Wonder it they were talking about these kind of experiences?

So to  all you Mothers, just remember to really support  your kids, but also know exactly where they are going and what they are going to do…that might help your decisions. But at the same time, I am so glad that my kids are more like Jeff and not me. I am soooooooooooooooo boring, and I just love keeping my feet on the ground.

Good night dear friends!

  “Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.”  ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

  “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”  ~ Andre Gide

“People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.”   ~St. Augustine, Early Christian Priest

 

Friendships

Tonight we had some friends over that we haven’t seen in a while. Even though it had been a long time, we seemed to just start where we finished the last time. I smiled as I watched my kids and grandkids share the evening with these dear friends. We all really love them, and they are some of the best people we know. Is life easy for them? Do they have everything? Absolutely not, but they are rich because they love each other and so many friends. They give and serve often. Yes, life has even given them some huge trials, and still they smile and their spirit is strong and happy. How blessed we are that we had the chance, years ago to meet them. Friendships truly make life worth living.

Thanks for all of your friendship and good night!

 

Whitney's Story

There was a time when Whitney didn't have a lot of friends. She was a bit shy and reserved. She never really wanted to be popular, but she did want to have someone to share secrets and laughs with. All through high school, though, she just slipped in and out of "light" friendships where she didn't find a lot of comfort or companionship.

When it came time to go to college, Whitney was quite nervous. She was going to be rooming with someone she didn't know and living in a town 300 miles away from home. There wouldn't be a single person she knew in town. She had no idea how she was going to make friends in this new environment.

The first week of classes, something happened that changed Whitney's life forever. In her English Composition class, she was asked (as were all the students) to share a little about herself. She told everyone where she called home and all of the other ordinary details that students share in such situations. The final question for each student was always the same: "What is your goal for this class?" Now, most of the students said it was to get a good grade, pass the class or something similar, but for some reason, Whitney said something entirely different. She said that her goal was to make just one good friend.

While most of the students sat in silence, one student came to Whitney and held out his hand and introduced himself. He asked if she would be his friend. The whole room was silent – all eyes focused on the Whitney and the hand extended just in front of her. She smiled and stretched her hand out to take his and a friendship was formed. It was a friendship that lasted all through college. It was a friendship that turned into a romance. It was a friendship that brought two people together in marriage.

Whitney learned the power of asking for what she wanted, being honest and taking action.

 

  “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”   ~Brandi Snyder quotes

  “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

Once upon a time…

When you are a Mother, you will say these four words over and over again to your little ones as you read them some of the Disney Classics.  I remember well when a friend of ours… bought our family tickets and a plane ride to Disney Land for a week. We were so excited. None of us had ever been there before, and the kids were all old enough to hopefully remember it. I remember it, because I had to do the whole week in a wheelchair, my back was just too bad back then to handle that amount of walking. It was part of the downer of the trip but…at least we had the chance to go and we had a wonderful time.

One thing that happened stuck in my mind and made me laugh today as Lauren and I were reminiscing about it. When we were there, some of Amy and Lauren’s favorite things were to get autographs from some of their favorite characters like…Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and so on. The only bad part was that the lines to wait for a autograph was too long and so the kids were anxious to go on and keep riding rides. So like any good Mother would do, I volunteered to wait in line and get the signature for them, while they went with their Dad on yet another ride.

As I sat in my wheelchair in the heat, another Mother was there waiting too. As we began to talk, we laughed that our kids weren’t even here  to get the autograph but still wanted it so bad. We patted ourselves on the back for being really exceptional Mothers! Then we watched as they stopped the line and they closed the line for about 10 minutes. During that time Sleeping Beauty left and when she came back it was obviously the next employee who had the Sleeping Beauty outfit on. She looked a lot like her, but you knew they had made the switch they were different heights. I heard later that they switch them out after so long, so it isn’t too hard and tiring for them. My new friend and I, just laughed when we realized what happened. Then we both got the greatest idea, since the Real Sleeping Beauty ( according to my girls ) had been replaced, we decided WHAT ANY GOOD MOM WOULD DO and we pretended to be the new Sleeping Beauty and we autographed each others papers. Hey would could have been Sleeping Beauty if we would have applied for the job…well maybe we could have. We were pleased, and pretty darn proud of ourselves as Moms, we didn’t have to wait in line any more and we had the precious autograph that are children really wanted!

Years later when we were talking about Disney Land, some how I let it slip out what I did. Amy was much older then and I thought it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, then she replied “ Mom, how could you do that? I even gave that autograph to my teacher, and the whole time  it was a lie?”  At the time, I didn’t quite feel like the ULTIMATE MOM any more, but it did make me laugh and I realized a Mom has got to do, what a Mom has got to do! It is not easy being a Mom you know! It is much harder than it looks. But never forge, that Mom’s stick together…that is our job!

So once upon a time… there was a Mom in a wheelchair, who did what she had to do to survive her trip to Disney Land! Hey, I never said I was perfect but sometimes I have to admit, I have some real good solutions to the problems!  

Good night dear friends….sleep tight!

 

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."                
~William D. Tammelus

“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together”  ~ Erma Bombeck quotes

She’s getting older!

                                                                    

It seems like it was just yesterday, that the kids were little and now in less than 3 months … Jeff and I will be empty nesters!  I am grateful that we have Jenny and Angie still close by, what would we do without them? We realize that since our married kids are young parents, the there will be times that we might not live close by. That is even hard to think about, much less imagine. Many of my friends don’t live close to their grandchildren so we know at this moment… how blessed we are.

Now our son Brad and his wife Krystal are expecting their first baby and they don’t live close. We are already aching to see that new little grandchild, and guess what…it’s a boy!!!!
How exciting, we can hardly wait!  Yes, being a grandparent has been a great blessing in my life, how happy these two little red heads make me. And since Krystal has red hair in her family, you wonder if we will get another cute red head for this St. Patrick’s Day?
Today we babysat Jenny for a little while and she always seems to have something funny to say. Today she walked into my room with her head hanging sorta down and her shoulders down, and with  a frown on her face. I asked her what was wrong but she didn’t say anything, she just came over and leaned on me. Then I asked her if she was having a bad day, and she shook her head YES!  At the ripe old age of two, you have got to wonder how bad could your days be?

When I found these photos of her tonight it made me realize once again that time is flying by and our little Jenny is growing up fast, just like her sister!  Yes, it is vital to enjoy every minute of these little guys life. Jeff and I are already looking at plane tickets so in March we will be able to go and welcome our new little GRANDSON into our family!  Life is good…real good!

Good night dear friends!

“It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace.”  ~Christopher Morley

“Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old.”  ~Mary H. Waldrip

Personal Bubble

Some times when people stand this close to you, you might have a hard time. Why do you think that is?  Well, it is because

we all have a personal space, boundary, or bubble that we feel more comfortable if you honor. Everyone’s personal bubble is

different.  Today Angie was over( because tonight was her SLEEP OVER AT NANA’S NIGHT), and she was hanging

out with Lauren. She kept getting closer and closer to her as she spoke and wouldn’t quit. Lauren finally told her that she needed

some personal space, then she reminded her( of their conversation the other day about …boundaries and personal bubbles).  Right

after she said that, Angie put out her finger and made a noise. When we asked her what she was doing, she said “ I just popped your

personal bubble!” I know we probably shouldn’t have laughed but that was too funny.  I remember this age and they truly are just

trying to figure things and relationships out. But isn’t it amazing to see how this smart little guys think? Too cute!

Well, need to close because this photo is getting to be too close for my personal bubble!
Good night dear friends!

“Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries”      Corita Kent

“You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance”.     ~Franklin P. Jones

“The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives.”    ~Robert Brault

To Thine Own Self Be True

I found these words to live by… in a Family Circle when I was at the Doctor’s office.

Since I am hurting a lot tonight, I thought I had best give you someone else’s positive

thoughts, mine are far and few between tonight. Good night dear friends!

 

“ The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”  ~ Montaigne

“Stand tall, and the world will rise up with you.”   ~ Anonymous

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”  ~ John Wooden

“Once we give up searching for approval, we often find it easier to earn respect.”   ~ Gloria Steinem

“Never grow a wishbone…where your backbone ought to be.”   ~ Clementine Paddleford

“ You are the product of your own brainstorm.”   ~ Rosemary Konner Steinbaum

“The better life, cannot be imposed from without---it must grow from within.”   ~ Mrs. Humphrey Ward

 

“ Let me listen to me and not to them.”  ~ Gertrude Stein

 

“ Be the most you can be, so life will be more because you were.”   ~Susan Giaspell

Learning to trust!

I found this story and although it talks about Christmas time, I am not trying to rush the season…really! I like the story because it shows us how important it is to have faith and trust in something bigger than ourselves. It was a great analogy, not sure if it is true but…still the message came across loud and clear.

Still struggling a little bit with my pain, getting better though. Thanks for your patience with me. Hard sometimes for me to think positively and write something positive when I hurt that bad.  I need to remember to go back to Baby Steps, I have been doing too  much. It is hard to finally get back into normal life and realize that you might have to slow down a little bit more. Oh well, I am definitely a work in progress!

Hope you are doing well and have a wonderful night and enjoy the story!!!

 
THE MAN AND THE BIRDS

Now the man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge.  He was a kind, decent, mostly good man, generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas time.  It just didn’t make sense, and he was too honest to pretend otherwise.  He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to earth as a man.

“I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite and that he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them.  And so he stayed, and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall.  He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.  Minutes later, he was startled by a thudding sound.  Then another, and then another.  Sort of a thump or a thud.  At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window.

But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.  Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony.  That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it.

Quickly he put on a coat and galoshes and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn.  He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in.  He figured food would entice them in.  So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs and sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted, wide-open doorway of the stable.  But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow.

He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms.  Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.  And then, he realized, that they were afraid of him.  To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature.  If only I could think of someway to let them know that they can trust me – that I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them.  But how, because any move he made tended to frighten and confuse them.  They just would not follow.  They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

“If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language.  Then I could tell them not to be afraid.  Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm . . . . . . . . . to the safe, warm barn.  But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.”

At that moment, the church bells began to ring.  The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.  And he stood there listening to the bells – listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.  And he sank to his knees in the snow. 
- WRITTEN BY PAUL HARVEY -

 

“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”    ~C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

“People see God every day, they just don't recognize him.”    ~Pearl Bailey

With child-like faith!

I loved this story about a brother’s love and admiration for his handicapped brother. Those of us who have family or friends with handicaps… realize what incredibly strong spirits they are. Those of us who are privileged to have them in our lives… truly understand what this brother is saying.

May we all take the time to be more child-like in our faith, in our every day lives… so we too could enjoy our days a lot more!

Good night dear friends!

GOD'S UNDER THE BED

My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed.  At least that's what I heard him say one night.  He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.  "Are you there, God?" he said.  "Where are you?  Oh, I see.  Under the bed."  I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.

Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.  But that night something else lingered long after the humor.  I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.  He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor.  Apart from his size (he's 6'2"), there are few ways in which he is an adult.  He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7 year old, and he always will.  He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.  Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?  Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.  The only variation in the entire scheme are laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.  He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05 eager for a day of simple work.  He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.  And Saturdays -- oh, the bliss of Saturdays!  That's the day my dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside.  "That one's going' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.  His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.  He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.  His life is simple.  He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.  He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend.  His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent.  Kevin is never so happy as when he is working.  When he  unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.  He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished.  But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.  He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.

His heart is pure.  He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.  Free from pride and  unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry.  He is always transparent, always sincere.

And he trusts God.  Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.  Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp.  God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.  It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.  It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am.  My obligations, my fears, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?  After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord.  And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all. 
- AUTHOR UNKNOWN -

“Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart.”  ~ Mencius

A mother’s love!

You can never underestimate a Mother’s love for her child. It can do impossible things…if necessary!

This sweet story I think…is all about that type of love, determination and sacrifice.

Enjoy! Good night dear friends!

The Mountain

There were two warring tribes in the Andes, one that lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering of the people, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains.

The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn't know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain.

Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home.

The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another. After several days of effort, however, they had climbed only several hundred feet.

Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below.

As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb.

And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be?

One man greeted her and said, "We couldn't climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn't do it?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "It wasn't your baby."        ~ Jim Stovall

“If the whole world were put into one scale, and my mother in the other, the whole world would kick the beam.”    ~Lord Langdale (Henry Bickersteth)

“Motherhood is priced
Of God, at price no man may dare
To lessen or misunderstand.”
~Helen Hunt Jackson

Letting people know how important they are to you.

How nice it would be if everyone would treat each other like this story. Taking the time and effort out of your life to express your love and appreciation is definitely an important thing to do. This story reminded me of this. I hope you enjoy it!
I am still struggling with pain in my back and neck so…I will just share this with you tonight.
Good night dear friends!

 

 

Jessie's Glove
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics we address in our seminars is the retention of quality employees - a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale in the service industry.
During these discussions, I ask the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager?"
Some time back a new manager took the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, "It was a $19 baseball glove." Cynthia told the group that she originally took a Circle K clerk job as an interim position while she looked for something better.
On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League.
Cynthia had promised he would get a glove as soon as she found a job and he was calling to remind her of her commitment. She explained that as a single mother, money was very tight, and her first check would have to go for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.
When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in back of the store that served as an office. Cynthia wondered if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete from the day before. She was concerned and confused.
Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard you talking to your son yesterday," she said, "and I know that it is hard to explain such things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he needs to understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we do care, and I want you to know you are important to us."
The thoughtfulness, empathy and love of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly that people remember more about how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.

http://www.motivateus.com/stories/show-care.htm

 

“If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”   ~Bob Hope

“It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.”    ~Author Unknown

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.”    ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.